An automatic analysis apparatus is used for measuring a concentration of an intended component in a biological sample, such as blood or urine, or knowing whether the intended component is contained in the sample or not. As compared to the measurement manually made by an inspection expert, the automatic analysis apparatus has a high analysis speed and high analysis accuracy (reproducibility), and therefore is spreading mainly through large hospitals and inspection laboratory centers.
In the automatic analysis apparatus, for measuring an absorbance, while rotating rotary reaction containers continuously arranged on the circumference, the optical axis is moved successively toward one reaction container to the next one to measure an absorbance. The apparatus has a light projection lamp for projecting a light against the rotary reaction containers, and a band transmission optical filter for preventing a light in the unnecessary wavelength band from arriving at the detector. These facilities are known to deteriorate in properties with the passage of time due to their own properties, and hence they are parts that need to be periodically replaced by other ones.
Conventionally, the inspection quality has been secured by surely conducting the periodic replacement of a part so as not to cause the deterioration of the part to adversely affect the performance of the apparatus.
As a technique for achieving the above object, PTL 1 discloses a technique in which a change of the photometric point absorbance is observed during the analysis to detect a lamp malfunction during the analysis.
Further, PTL 2 discloses a technique related to a method for determining the timing for the replacement of a light source lamp.